Lovably Strange
by Boondock Jake
Summary: Alicia ponders the day she received Rocko's letter and its aftermath.


_A/N: Having a bit of writers block so I usually try to write a story under eight pages in order to get things moving again so here's a short one I did about one of my favorite shows. This takes place after the S.W.A.K. episode. Anyways, enjoy!_

_Rocko and characters belong to Joe Murray.  
_

_Lyrics belong to Pizzicato Five._

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Lovably Strange

Alicia couldn't help but shake her head with a lopsided grin as her mail truck sat idled on the side of the curb, sounds of the radio reverberating off the insides of its metal walls.

It was a typical morning with all the same sites that greeted her upon her route. There was the jogger that ran laps up and down the neighborhood, occasionally resting against a fence to catch his breath. The sprinkler that turned on every day at nine thirty like clockwork at the house with the blue van and Mr. and Mrs. Big Head arguing about something that could be heard from a mile away. All scenes she could point out perfectly if she had a blindfold over her eyes.

But there was scene now that was rather new. A scene she was still getting used to.

Just a few yards away, next door to the Big Heads themselves was a small house she had delivered to for what felt like centuries. It was nothing special nor was it any different from any other time she delivered mail. The main difference was what was outside of the house itself.

Standing on the front lawn near his mail box was the recent addition to her life. She could see him tug at the collar of his standard blue shirt with purple triangles littering the front and back. It was an ugly shirt but she never had the heart to tell him that. The wallaby fidgeted with something in his hands and nervously looked at his watch.

Alicia's grin widened.

Just like the sprinkler, he too was always on time for her arrival. Laughing softly to herself, she pulled away from the curb and headed towards the young man. As she drew closer to him, her mind raced back in time to the day she received a certain letter.

It was such a strange chain of events.

To receive a love letter from someone she barely even knew and even more strange, to write one back. She knew he liked her. It was no secret. Alicia often spotted him peeking out at her from behind the curtains as she stuffed his mail box with flyers and other junk. It was a little creepy at first, especially when he would try to work up the nerve to talk to her. His constant stuttering and nonsensical babbling made her wonder if he had some sort of disability. But as time passed, his attempts became less uncomfortable and more adorable.

She thought him to be kind of pathetic at first. He obviously wasn't good with women. Far from the fantasy of being swept off her feet from a tall dark and handsome stranger like the one she and her girlfriends often giggled about over a glass of wine. The wallaby was short, quiet and all around goofy. Not exactly the man of her dreams.

Despite his short comings, she couldn't help but be impressed and in all honesty, flattered by his recurring attempts. He never really did any better than the day before but the effort he put in was undeniable and it made her blush that someone would go to so much trouble for her, to the point of utter embarrassment. As she would begin her route every morning, she would start looking forward to seeing if he could pull off a successful conversation with her. It never happened but it never ceased to be any less flattering.

It was even more flattering when she read his letter.

All the words he had tried to vocalize to her were put down on paper and she felt her face go red at the memory. It was deep, poetic and majestic in a way she couldn't explain. Alicia was shaken to the very core at this confession of love to her that she had no idea what to think.

At first, she thought she should throw the letter away and request a new route or let Heffer have hers. An even more shocking discovery to learn that he was actually the wallaby's best friend. But as she thought about the letter and the individual who wrote it, the less she wanted to avoid him.

The wallaby was strange, yes but it was a harmless and entertaining sort of strange. He wasn't so much pathetic as he was shy and she found that to be very cute. He wasn't bad looking either, far from it and the hint of his Australian accent was a bit of a turn on. The more Alicia thought about him the more his words became embedded in her heart. So much that she wrote her own letter back to him.

In truth the letter was just to tell him that Wallace, whom the wallaby assumed was her boyfriend, was actually her brother and to get back at Heffer who had played a joke on her earlier that week. It wasn't until she was standing beside him that he realized her affections were actually for him.

From there began a series of awkward dates and even more awkward moments of romance. He was even more nervous than before, the pressure of a successful courtship getting to him. He tripped when they danced, spilt his soup on himself at dinner and looked like he would suffer a heart attack at any moment when the opportunity for a kiss presented itself.

In short, he was a mess.

But Alicia liked that. He tried so hard for her that it put past relationships to shame. It was difficult for her not to smile at his fumbled attempts and embarrassed smile. The rare moments when he did manage to calm down, he proved himself to be honest, humble, funny and very sweet. Her friends thought she was crazy when they met him a few weeks ago. He was just as on edge during that encounter than ever. They couldn't believe she could like a guy like that. But she didn't care. He never lied to her, stayed out all night drinking, boasted about how much he could bench press or looked at other women. He was a short, stubby wallaby with confidence issues, a brain dead dog and a heart as big as all outdoors.

She liked him because he was real.

Alicia's smile widened fully as she pulled up to the curb of his house. She slid the door open and there he stood, a comically shy smile on his muzzle. She tried to stifle a laugh but with only moderate success.

"Oh, heh, good morning, Alicia." He greeted bashfully.

"Well, good morning, Rocko." She replied sweetly. "You're looking handsome today."

"Ah, well, um, thank-thank you." Rocko stuttered, his face reddening under his fur. Alicia let herself laugh fully at that and reached into her mail bag. She pulled out a handful of letters and handed them to him. "Nothing too interesting today. Just a few flyers and a letter from your mom. She doing okay after that train scare?"

"Oh yes, much better thank you. She was just a little shook up but doing fine." He told her, hand reaching out to grasp the bundle.

As he grabbed them, his fingers brushed across hers and their eyes locked. His face turned red again and Alicia couldn't help letting her thumb graze over his own. Immediately, the smaller marsupial's face turned a fire engine and she swore she could see smoke coming out of his ears. Alicia let go as not to give him an aneurism but she could see he was still holding something behind his back.

"You have something for me there?" She asked curiously. Rocko shook off the effects of his embarrassment and pulled out from his back a piece of loose-leaf paper.

"Ah, yes in fact I do. It's…uh…well…um…it's a…poem."

"A poem?" Alicia repeated.

"Yes. I…I wrote it for you."

She felt herself smile again and brushed back her ponytail that hung over her right shoulder. Turning in her seat so she could face him, Alicia cocked her head to the side and said,

"Well I'd really like to hear it then."

Rocko gave another childish smile, his ears twitching as he cleared his throat.

"Um, Blue is for her eyes that sparkle like the moon reflected on the lake. Red is for her hair that shines like a raw rib eye steak. Green is for…"

As Rocko continued with his poem, Alicia found herself staring at him, the words that came from his mouth fading and the radio over shadowing them.

_When I see you alone,_

_I see what's in your mind._

_You love me yes you do,_

_You don't need to tell me._

_I know you love me most,_

_No one else take my place._

_You need me, yes you do._

_Forever, and ever._

Alicia watched his mouth move and his eyes scan over the paper, feet shuffling in place. He looked so nervous. But with every stutter and awkward clearing of his throat, she felt her heart swell.

_When we kiss,_

_I see what's in your heart._

_You love me yes you do,_

_You don't need to tell me._

_I know you love me most,_

_No one else take my place._

_You need me, you do._

_Forever, and ever. _

"Um…that's it."

Alicia snapped back to reality and found Rocko staring up at her in trepid anticipation. She collected herself and shone a brilliant smile down at him.

"That was beautiful. Thank you, Rocko." She said. Despite not even hearing the poem, she had no doubts it was as wonderful as the wallaby in front of her. She leaned down and planted a kiss on his nose which caused him to slouch forward in a love struck daze.

_We are in love, baby love child._

_I take you so high, groovy love child._

_Give me a kiss, baby love child._

_Do it again._

"Know I remember why this is the favorite part of my morning." She winked at him. Rocko gave a gawky laugh and tugged at the collar of his shirt again. "Ah, I'm-I'm glad."

"So…I'll see you later tonight?" Alicia asked playfully.

"Oh! Oh yes. That would be righto. Um…dinner then?" He mumbled through a smile, timidly tapping his fingers together. Alicia reached out and lovingly stroked the side of his muzzle.

"It's a date."

_We are in bed at night,_

_I can see what you want._

_You want me yes you do,_

_Aishitemasu. (*)_

_I know how you feel,_

_You have all of my heart._

_I give you myself._

_Forever and ever._

Rocko's smile became fuller and more relaxed at her touch and he stood back as she closed the door. She gave him one last smile before pulling away and heading down the street. Rocko started to shrink in her rear view mirror, his hand rising and giving her a wave before disappearing. Alicia continued down the neighborhood, delivering letters and packages, the smile never leaving her face.

The radio continued to play and Alicia's thoughts were filled with the awkward, silly wallaby just a few blocks back that no one could seem to understand why she was dating. They didn't need to understand. She understood and she thanked some divine power for the day that letter found its way into her hands. Alicia carried on with her day with her smile and a warm feeling of eagerness in her stomach.

She couldn't wait for tonight.

_We are in love, baby love child._

_I take you so high, groovy love child._

_Give me a kiss, baby love child._

_Do it again._

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_A/N: There you go. Rocko is so adorably goofy. Hopefully this will get the creative juices flowing again. Cya soon!  
_

_*Aishitemasu is Japanese for 'I love you'._


End file.
